


Pearl

by wildwolfsongs



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Abusive Relationships, M/M, Not Canon Compliant, Original Character(s), Song Lyrics, Songfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-10
Updated: 2017-02-10
Packaged: 2018-09-23 06:04:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,981
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9643712
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wildwolfsongs/pseuds/wildwolfsongs
Summary: Victor used to be on top of the world, but now he's become a shell of his former self. Can Yuuri help save him before it's too late?





	

**Author's Note:**

> This is based off of Katy Perry's song Pearl. I don't own any of the Yuri On Ice characters and I don't own any of the lyrics used in this story. This story does contain an abusive relationship, but nothing is explicitly graphic.

_He is a pyramid, but with him he’s just a grain of sand.  
This love’s too strong like mice and men, squeezing out the life that should be let in._

Victor had been dating his boyfriend, Alexei, for almost a year now. Victor remembers the feeling of meeting Alexei for the first time, like his heart would burst from utter adoration. The first months had been the best time of his life. His skating career was at its peak, he had a dedicated fan base worldwide, and his boyfriend loved him. 

That soon changed. 

Victor doesn’t remember exactly when it started going wrong, doesn’t remember what _he _did wrong. But suddenly, Alexei became more possessive and rough towards his lover. He would constantly order Victor to stay by his side at all times. Victor could no longer go out with his rink mates or have lunch with his mother without Alexei becoming upset.__

Soon, Alexei’s jealously began to affect Victor’s skating. Victor couldn't leave for practice without Alexei insisting that he come along, couldn’t travel to competitions without the ever present shadow of his boyfriend by his side. 

Victor was trapped in an existence that was less than life. But Alexei said everything he did was because he was afraid that Victor would leave him.

He swears that he doesn’t mean for it to hurt.

**Rewind one year. Grand Prix Finals 2013. ******

_He was a hurricane, but now he’s just a gust of wind.  
He used to set the sails of a thousand ships, was a force to be reckoned with. ___

He can hear the crowd chanting his name. He’s smiling and feels pride welling inside his chest as he bows in gratitude to the audience. He’s just performed a dazzling free skate routine, achieving a new world record. He’s soon stepping back onto the ice to receive his fourth gold medal in a row at the Grand Prix Finals. His eyes shine with excitement as he shares the podium with his dear friend Christophe and the skater who received bronze. All that’s running through his head is, _I can’t wait to see what next season holds in store for me and all the amazing skaters out there! ___

Victor remembers that day, remembers when skating felt _good _. It was before he’d even met Alexei.__

He hasn’t felt that way in a long time. 

_He could be a statue of liberty, he could be a Joan of Arc.  
But he’s scared of the light that’s inside of him, so he keeps him in the dark._

Alexei doesn’t like it when Victor does well in a competition. Often, the first comment out of his boyfriend’s mouth will be something like, 

“That other skater was much better than you.” 

or 

“Obviously the judges weren’t paying attention during the other performances if you won.” 

Victor never mentioned anything. His boyfriend had a right to his own opinion and of course the competition was indeed very talented. Victor knew he was lucky to even be on the ice with them anymore given his age. He’d have to retire soon. 

Maybe that would make Alexei happy. 

Alexei doesn’t like it when Victor goes on Twitter or Instagram without him knowing. His boyfriend says he doesn’t like Victor being exposed to all the comments that people make about his skating, that he’s worried Victor will get too overconfident and his skating will be affected. 

Alexei picks out the comments that Victor is allowed to read. They’re always about how his skating could be better or how careless he was at a particular event. Alexei makes sure that Victor knows what to work on and for that Victor is grateful. Victor believes him. Victor trusts him. 

Victor understands that no one ever praises him, they only ever tell him how to be better. 

**Fast forward one year. Grand Prix Finals 2014. Sochi, Russia.**

_Oh, he used to be a pearl, he used to rule the world.  
Can’t believe he’s become a shell of himself, ‘cause he used to be a pearl._

Katsuki Yuuri doesn’t remember a time when he didn’t idolize Victor Nikiforov. The Japanese skater had spent most of his life striving to achieve the level of skill and greatness that Victor had set. Victor Nikiforov had it all. He had the talent, the drive, the strength. 

Until he didn’t. 

Yuuri had always wished he could trade places with Alexei Orlov, boyfriend of the infamous Victor Nikiforov. He dreamed of being the one that Victor would fall in love with and spend the rest of his life with. The day it was announced that Victor was no longer a bachelor, Yuuri felt his heart shatter as he realized once again how far Victor was from his reach. Victor was happy and in love, of course he was, the man deserved that at the very least. Yuuri would never dare try and take away the man that made Victor happy. 

That changed, however, when Yuuri and Victor both qualified for the 2014 Grand Prix Finals. 

Yuuri felt his heart sink low in his chest when he caught a glimpse of Victor’s face as he stretched before the short program. The man’s eyes were dull, his movements lacked motivation, and his smile was nonexistent. Yuuri watched the man skate with a beauty and grace that was fake and forced. The younger man was at a loss. He couldn’t understand why Victor had changed so drastically. That is, until Yuuri noticed Alexei glaring at Victor from the sidelines, harsh shadows covering most of his face. The man’s body language showed nothing but aggression and anger as he watched his boyfriend skate. 

Yuuri couldn’t believe his eyes. Why would someone, especially someone who supposedly loves Victor, be looking at him like that? 

Yuuri watched as Victor finished his performance and skated up to his lover, smiling brightly. 

He watched as Alexei spoke just three words and Victor’s smile disappeared. 

Yuuri understood now. 

_He was unstoppable, moved fast just like an avalanche.  
But now he’s stick deep in cement, wishing that they’d never ever met._

The Grand Prix Final banquet is the post-competition event where all the skaters and their friends could gather without the pressure of competing. Yuuri knew it would be his only chance to reach Victor, to offer help in the only way he could. 

When Yuuri entered the banquet hall, the first person his eyes landed on was the silver haired man. 

The second person was Alexei. 

The two men were, unsurprisingly, standing beside one another, Alexei’s hand tightly wrapped around Victor’s waist. Victor was smiling, but Yuuri knew without even seeing his face that it wouldn’t be reaching his eyes. The Japanese skater kept a watch on the two Russians, anxiously waiting for the two to separate, if only for a minute. Finally, Yuuri watched as Alexei whispered in Victor’s ear and stalked off towards the restrooms. 

He had his opening and he wasn’t going to give it up. 

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Victor felt the smile melt off his face as his boyfriend told him to be sure to keep to himself before heading off to the bathrooms. He knew that bringing Alexei to the banquet with him would mean he wouldn’t get to socialize very much, but he couldn’t say no to his boyfriend. 

That is, until he met Katsuki Yuuri. 

Victor’s eyes widened as he watched a handsome Japanese skater that he recognized from the competition came rushing up to him, determination blazing in his brown eyes. 

“Victor, my name is Katsuki Yuuri. I’ve been a fan of yours for many years now. You’re the one who got me interested in figure skating. But, I’ve noticed something during this competition that has me quite worried.” Victor deflated slightly. Of course the man would only want to critique him, he shouldn’t have expected anything different. 

The man spoke again. 

“You’re not okay, are you.” That got Victor’s attention. The figure skating legend whipped his head up to look the man in the eyes, shocked. It hadn’t been a question. The man stated it as a fact, one Victor had never realized was true. The man, unfazed, continued. “You deserve the world, but when you’re trapped inside a cage, the world is just too big to fit.” 

Victor’s eyebrows creased in confusion, _what does he mean?_

“My family runs an onsen in Hasetsu. There’s a rink nearby, my base rink. I’d love for you to come visit some day and skate with me. When you need to get away, when you understand what I meant before, I’ll be waiting for you.” 

As Yuuri finished speaking, Victor felt Alexei’s eyes on him once more, a chill running down his spine. Yuuri’s gaze hardened as he glanced over at Alexei, before he looked back at Victor one last time with a softened gaze and a gentle smile. 

Victor blinked and when he opened his eyes once more, Yuuri was gone. 

**Fast forward a few months.**

_Do you know that there’s a way out?  
You don’t have to be held down._

Victor had broken up with Alexei the day after the banquet in Sochi. 

Thanks to the man known as Katsuki Yuuri, the spell that had blinded Victor to Alexei’s abusive actions had been broken, and the skater realized just how far he’d let himself fall. The break up hadn’t gone well. Alexei made sure to leave Victor with only one thought repeating over and over in his mind: _no one would ever love him again._

At first, Victor struggled to get past those thoughts. Eventually through with the help of his friends, especially young Yuri Plisetsky, Victor understood. He was finally able to comprehend that Alexei never loved him, that he deserved better. Now though, Victor had no distraction. He had nothing to keep his mind occupied and away from thoughts of how his skating career would continue from that point onward. 

Victor had just become the five-time gold medalist in the World Figure Skating Competition and had thousands of people awaiting his decision on next season. Despite that, he was at a standstill. Victor no longer had the inspiration to skate, he didn’t know how to proceed with his career or whether he even wanted to at all. 

Then, his phone pinged, signaling a text message from Yuri. 

_You need to watch this. ___

That was all the message said, but it was followed by a link to a video on Youtube. Victor clicked and inhaled sharply when he saw the familiar and achingly beautiful face appear. His eyes were glued to the screen as the Japanese man skated across the screen to Victor’s 2014 GPF free skate. He remained unmoving for several minutes after the video had ended, eyes wide and teary, breaths shaky. 

__

Another ping sounded from his phone. 

_He’s been waiting all this time. This is what you’ve been looking for. Go._

That was all Victor needed to get his mind refocused on packing his bags and booking a flight. 

_____ _

_You don’t have to be a shell, you’re the one that rules your world.  
You are strong and you’ll learn that you can still go on and you’ll always be a pearl._

_____ _

“Hello Victor. It’s good to see you again.” 

_____ _

Victor can’t hold himself back. He runs to Yuuri’s arms and breaks down into loud, gasping sobs letting out all the frustration and pain he’s been holding in for the past year. He whispers _‘thank you’ _over and over, voice growing hoarse from crying. Yuuri said nothing, just held the man firmly in his grasp, making sure the man knew that Yuuri would be there for him from then on.__

_____ _

Their love is mutual yet undeclared, but for the time, it doesn’t matter. The universe had destined for them to find one another and now, Victor is free and he has found where he truly belongs. 

_____ _

_He is unstoppable._

_____ _

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you guys enjoyed this one-shot. It's only my second fic, so I'd love to hear your comments and suggestions whether they be about my writing or just about the story in general. Once again, the song used in the story is Pearl by Katy Perry (it's an amazing song and I recommend you check it out if you haven't already). Please feel free to check out my other fic(s). Love you all xx
> 
> Find me on tumblr: http://wildwolfsongs.tumblr.com/


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